Processing apparatus and method for plasma processing

• US 5,134,965 A
• Filed: 06/14/1990
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tokuda, Mitsuo, Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro, Sasaki, Ichirou, Otsubo, Toru, Azuma, Junzou
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOUDREAU, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US07/538,150
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 118/723, 118/719, 118/715, 204/298.31, 204/298.33, 204/298.38, 204/298.02, 204/298.07
• US Class Current: 118/723.0MW
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45502 Flow conditions in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4558 Perforated rings
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/511 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/3321 CVD [Chemical Vapor Deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32247 Resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow

Abstract

Disclosed is a plasma CVD apparatus and a method therefor, the apparatus comprising: a microwave generating portion; a coaxial cavity resonator for making a microwave supplied from the microwave generating portion resonate; a plurality of gas leading inlets provided in under portions of an axis of the cavity resonator and in peripheral wall portions of the cavity resonator for leading-in a supplied CVD gas; and a plasma generating chamber in which the CVD gas lead into the plasma generating chamber through the gas leading inlets and made to flow uniformly onto a surface of a substrate is subject to the microwave made intensive through resonance in the cavity resonator and radiated through a coupling plate so that uniform plasma is generated to thereby form a thin film on the surface of the substrate.

Further disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus and a method therefor, the apparatus comprising; a plasma chamber for maintaining plasma generated in the inside of the plasma chamber so as to perform plasma processing; a first microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with the plasma chamber through a first slot plate; a second microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with the first cavity resonance chamber through a second slot plate parallel to the first slot plate; and a microwave generator for leading a microwave into the second cavity resonance chamber through a waveguide.

Claims

1. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a microwave generating source;

a coaxial cavity resonator for making a microwave supplied from said microwave generating source resonate, said coaxial cavity resonator having an axial portion in the center of cylindrical shape;

an axial gas flow path formed in an axial portion of said cavity resonator for making a CVD gas flow therethrough so as to prevent said microwave generated by the coaxial cavity resonator from entering thereinto, said axial gas flow path being connected to a gas source;

a peripheral gas flow formed in peripheral wall portion of said cavity resonator for making a CVD gas flow therethrough so as to prevent said microwave generated by the coaxial cavity resonator from entering thereinto, said peripheral flow path being connected to said gas source;

an axial gas leading inlet provided in under portion of said axial portion for leading-in the CVD gas supplied from said axial gas flow path;

a peripheral gas leading inlet provided in said peripheral wall portion of said cavity resonator for leading-in the CVD gas supplied from said peripheral gas flow path; and

,

a plasma generating chamber in which the CVD gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said axial gas leading inlet and said peripheral gas leading inlet made to flow uniformly onto a surface of a substrate is subject to the microwave made intensity through resonance in said cavity resonator and radiated through a coupling plate so that uniform plasma is generated to thereby form a thin film on the surface of said substrate.

2. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, in which slots for radiating the resonated microwave into said plasma generating chamber are formed in a surface of said cavity resonator facing said substrate.

3. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, in which said slots are formed arcuately and symmetrically with each other with respect to said axis.

4. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 2, in which a resonance mode of said cavity resonator is made to be an H mode.

5. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said cavity resonator is constituted by a plurality of cavity resonator units arranged so as to be symmetrical with each other with respect to said axis.

6. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for relatively controlling a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the under portions of said axis of said cavity resonator and a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the peripheral wall portions of said cavity resonator.

7. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for separately individually controlling a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the under portions of said axis of said cavity resonator and a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the peripheral wall portions of said cavity resonator.

8. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, in which said gas leading inlets are formed so as to direct to a plasma generating space above said substrate.

21. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 1, in which the gas blowing-out of said gas leading inlet formed in the peripheral wall portion of the said cavity resonator inclines against the surface of the substrate and the gas flowing-out of said gas leading inlet formed in under portion of said axial portion of the said cavity resonator point toward the surface of the substrate.

9. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a microwave generating portion;

a coaxial cavity resonator for making a microwave supplied from said microwave generating portion resonate;

a plurality of gas flow paths formed in an axis of said cavity resonator and in peripheral wall portions of said cavity resonator for making a CVD gas flow therethrough;

a plurality of gas leading inlets for leading-in the CVD gas supplied from said gas flow paths; and

a plasma generating chamber in which the CVD gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets and made to flow uniformly onto a surface of a substrate is subject to the microwave made intensity through resonance in said cavity resonator and radiated through a coupling plate so that uniform plasma is generated to thereby form a thin film on the surface of said substrate.

10. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which slots for radiating the resonated microwave into said plasma generating chamber are formed in a surface of said cavity resonator facing said substrate.

11. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, in which said slots are formed arcuately and symmetrically with each other with respect to said axis.

12. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 10, in which a resonance mode of said cavity resonator is made to be an H mode.

13. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which said cavity resonator is constituted by a plurality of cavity resonator units arranged so as to be symmetrical with each other with respect to said axis.

14. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising control means for relatively controlling a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in said axis of said cavity resonator and a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the peripheral wall portions of said cavity resonator.

15. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising control means for separately individually controlling a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in said axis of said cavity resonator and a flow rate of the gas led into said plasma generating chamber through said gas leading inlets formed in the peripheral wall portions of said cavity personator.

16. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which said gas leading inlets are formed so as to direct to a plasma generating space above said substrate.

17. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which the gas blowing-out angle of each of said gas leading inlets formed in the peripheral wall portions of said cavity resonator is selected so as to be not larger than 15 degrees relative to the surface of said substrate.

18. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 9, in which slots are further provided between a microwave leading inlet of said cavity resonator and said first-mentioned slots so as to reduce a one-sided condition of the microwave.

19. A plasma processing apparatus comprising:

a plasma chamber for maintaining plasma generated in the inside of said plasma chamber so as to perform plasma processing;

a first microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with said plasma chamber through a first slot plate;

a second microwave accumulating and intensifying cavity resonance chamber connected with said first cavity resonance chamber through a second slot plate parallel to said first slot plate; and

a microwave generator for leading a microwave into said second cavity resonance chamber through a waveguide.

20. A plasma processing apparatus according to claim 19 in which an interval between said respective slot plates is selected to be an integer times as large as a half of the microwave wavelength.